Jeopardy Try-Out--How Do I Prepare?

Cafe Society
21

As a Jeopardy second-placer (but, in my defense, to a 5-time champ on her fifth day), I second what everyone else here has said. Brush up on easy factual categories like Presidents, capitals – I had my son drill me on US, Canadian, and Australian state/provincial capitals as well as world capitals – and categories like opera or mythology that a quick refresher on will give you enough info for an average game.

But for the written test itself, what worked for me was to try to note down questions I knew as fast as possible, and for ones I didn’t know, to write a one or two-word hint to myself of what it was about. So during the times when I’d have a question answered before Alex even finished reading it on the tape of the test, that would give me ten seconds or so to go back and fill in a blank or three. It paid off.

Then, once you pass the test, you do the mock game tryout. They can get thousands of people who can answer every question in the world; they want people who are good on TV, who are personable, gracious losers, and fun to watch. So definitely show some personality and look like you are having fun. People watching you will have fun if you are.

That’s what they told me, too, but they never did ask me again when I got to LA – they just told me, “Oh, we have all that from your test.” Which was not at all the things I would have put down had I had a chance to think about it, so I made a pain of myself and insisted on them editing my info to get it right. They wouldn’t have if I hadn’t insisted. So go in with it planned. If you win like Ken, however, you’re on your own!

Most of all, have fun, and if at first you don’t succeed, keep trying. It took me two tries to pass, and lots of successful players have tried multiple times, so an initial failure isn’t the kiss of death.

22

They shut off my buzzer in the mock game so the other “contestants” could be heard, but I still haven’t gotten “The Call.” They do try to have as diverse a contestant pool as possible, and there are only so many middle-aged pudgy men they can put on in one season…

But that is not something you can change to get a better chance. If you don’t have a wide knowledge base already you will not survive.

23

Back when I did it in 1990, the test clues didn’t have “pinners,” the second part of the clue. They were just “This is the capital of Nova Scotia.” Has that changed?

From my experience, all three parts of the test are equally important: yes, you have to get enough answers right in the first part. But you have to be able to play the game well in the second part, and talk well in the third part, too. In my tryout session, about ten or eleven people made the first cut. In the practice game there was an attractive woman who seemed like she’d make a good contestant. But after answering one question, she’d say, “I’ll take, ummm, uhhh, Music… for, ummmm… 300.” She didn’t make it to the next stage.

Then you have to be able to speak on one of your talking points coherently for a full minute. Make sure you have a good story you can deliver well. And have four more good points in mind to put on the card. (Note what Mama Tiger said about changing them later.) Out of the 100 or so who started in my session, only five of us got this far, and I never found out if some of us might have washed out after this, because the contestant coordinators just said at this point, “We’ll call you.” (I got the call about a month later, went on to win one show, $7,200, in the old, pre-doubled price days. FYI, Here’s my list of Dopers who have appeared on Jeopardy!)

So don’t forget to prepare for the second two parts. Good luck.

24

I tried out in Toronto earlier this year, and they give a couple opportunities to ask questions and do things before the actual test. Since so much of it is personality based, I think it’s probably a good idea to try and get involved in those phases - don’t be a pain in the butt, but do ask a reasonable question, do volunteer to read a question.

As for preparing, if anything, I think I should have avoided studying on specific topics all at once. The test doesn’t run categories, it’s all random, so trivial pursuit is a much better indicator of what it’s like than actual Jeopardy.

25

Here’s a story worth mentioning that I forgot earlier:

I went to the tryouts with several friends, and there were several other people I knew there. We did a ten-question written round, and when you handed it in, they’d glance over your answers and either thank you for coming out or ask you to come back tomorrow for the next round. I got nine right and was asked to come back. A female friend of mine got eight right and was asked to come back.

A male friend of mine got eight right, the same as the female friend, and was NOT asked to come back. He got the same score, on the same set of questions, and was not invited back.

The moral of the story? They’re not seeking the world’s greatest Jeopardy! contestants; they’re casting a TV show. Being likable will be a huge help. If you get a question right, don’t gloat; if you miss one, don’t argue that your answer was “technically” correct. Be gracious and all that stuff.

Remember: Once you’ve passed the written question round, you’ve proven yourself mentally worthy. After that they’re looking for people who will be good TV.

26

It is too late now, Draelin, you have to begin to prepare when you are 8 years old. :slight_smile: Seriously, and Ken Jennings’ success aside, I don’t think it is possible to study for either the test or the actual game itself.

I remember going over some Biblical Pairs the night before I took the test the first time. I still couldn’t put Issac & Rebecca together during the test.

You gotta know American Presidents, state capitals, the Oscars. But there is just too much info out there. The best way to prepare is to watch the show religiously. And there is really no way to study for newer categories like Before & After.

One of the universe’s greatest secrets is the manner in which the show’s producers pick contestants. I took the test 3 times, passed the test 3 times, and fortunately the third time was the charm. An important criteria is the popularity of the show in your home town. Jeopardy! is on at 3:30 here is St Louis [when only retired people and the unemployed are able to tune in], and it seemed like only one person from the St Louis area per season was chosen to be on the show.

IIRC, more than half of the contestants on my day’s taping were from the Boston area [where I believe the show was on at 7:30 p.m.], and they had just taken the test at a contestant search the month before.

Anyway, good luck to you and any other Doper that might like to try out for Jeopardy!